National Farmers' Market Week on August, 2024: Is my birthday on a weird holiday?

National Farmers' Market Week 2024. National Farmers Market Week - Day 3 « Wholesome Wave Wholesome Wave National Farmers Market Week

Is my birthday on a weird holiday?

Yeah; it's on my brother's birthday! Weird enough for you? No? Okay, well there's also...

It falls on one of a few "twins days", It's official "Odie Day" (from garfield), Sneak some Zucchini onto your Neighbor's Porch Night, and Assistance Dog Day. It falls on Single Working Women's Week, World Breastfeeding Week, National Farmer's Market Week, and National Fraud Awareness Week.

Historically on this date, Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula in 1220, General Robert E. Lee sends a letter of resignation after a defeat at Gettysburg to Confederate President Jefferson Davis (which is refused upon receipt) in 1863, and the Soviet Union declares war on Japan and begins the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in 1945.

Going to tour america next year for a few weeks/months?

Going to tour america next year for a few weeks/months?

"See the USA in your Chevrolet..." -old Chevy jingle from the 1970's.

It's best to see the west coast by car, which give you the most freedom. Start in SF, then drive to LA, then Vegas.

After seeing all the cool things in SF, drive south to Monterey. Check the SF forum for the best places, but you will definitely want to visit the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, Ghirardellia Square, Lombard Street, and ride a cable car. In Monterey, you will want to visit Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

At this point, you will need to decide whether to visit Yosemite National Park, or continue south. Yosemite is beautiful and should not be missed, but Big Sur and the coast is also quite beautiful.

If you go down the coast, you should probably spend the night in San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach, since highway 1 is very beautiful, but it takes its toll on you.

From Pismo, take Highway 101 south through Santa Barbara, which is a great place to stop and visit. From SB, you are about 2 hours from LA. In LA, here's my top ten list of things to do:

Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth. Half a billion visitors can’t be wrong. (Sometimes it seems all at once)

Universal Studios: A theme park that grew out of a studio tour. Check out eBay. You can find some discounted tickets there. And Universal City Walk is a fun place to hang out in the evening after your day inside the park.

Hollywood: Hollywood Boulevard is ready for its close-up, thanks to years of urban renewal and renovation. Enjoy the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Mann's Theatre and more. You can see a lot for free. I have also added the Hollywood & Highland complex to my top ten list… it has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards). I like the El Capitan theater, because it has been restored to its former glory, unlike the Chinese, which was essentially gutted and turned into a multiplex.

Rodeo Drive, 90210: Packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something.

Venice Beach: Los Angeles kitsch and over-the-top culture at its best.

Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore.

Fun, VERY interesting, but I avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting for my taste. And it's a short bike ride from:

Santa Monica Beach and Pier: Great beach scene and a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies. (The Sting and "Three's Company" come immediately to mind).

After visiting the pier, you can ride a bike south a couple miles to Venice Beach.

Santa Monica Third Street Promenade - Downtown Santa Monica's shopping promenade is often the scene of movie star-sightings. Just a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier.

Sunset Boulevard: Perhaps one of the world's most famous streets, it began as a route between the stars' posh neighborhoods and the Hollywood studios. It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the "Sunset Strip" on its way. It makes for a fun drive. Along the way, you see a lot of different neighborhoods. Hollywood, West Hollywood, Bel Air, and Pacific Palisades. When you get to the ocean, stop at Gladstone's for Fish.

Queen Mary: Once the largest ship afloat, she's been docked in Long Beach for longer than she sailed, and her elegance never fails to impress. Free to visit. You can actually stay on board, for a price.

Farmers Market and The Grove - A new shopping complex right next to a Los Angeles landmark, The Grove and Farmers Market coexist. Enjoy a movie or shopping, then take the trolley to the Farmers Market for lunch or dinner.

Farmer's Market is right next to CBS, so walk across the lot to see if they are taping "The Price is Right". You might even get in.

Griffith Park - Home of the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, the Greek Theatre, and Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

Getty Museum - The Getty's architecture is so beautiful that it keeps me fascinated. No matter whether you like their art or architecture better (or maybe you'll just enjoy the view), the Getty is sure to please. Free.

Attend a TV taping - You can get free tickets at audiencesunlimited.com, or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the tonight show. Check the NBC web site for all the details there.

Places to eat:

In-N-Out Burger: Multiple locations, best burger in LA, ask anyone.

Pink’s Hot Dogs: 709 N. La Brea, just north of Melrose. Might see a celebrity.

Tommy’s Chili Burgers: Look for the shack, an LA tradition. Original location at Beverly & Rampart, a couple miles west of downtown.

Canter’s Deli: 419 N. Fairfax, between Beverly & Melrose. Near CBS, might spot a celebrity.

Phillippe’s: 1001 N. Alameda. Great roast beef sandwiches. Near Union Station, Olvera Street. Watch the mustard, it’s hot.

Places to Stay:

In Hollywood, I recommend the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel and the Farmer's Daughter Hotel.

In Anaheim, I recommend the HoJo Anaheim, and the Candy Cane Inn. If you want to splurge and make this a most memorable trip, stay at Disney’s Grand Californian. You get the full Disney experience. If you don't need to stay by the park, then stay at the Doubletree on Harbor, or even the one in Orange on Chapman.

In Santa Monica, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica is close to the pier and reasonably priced.

Places to Shop:

South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa

Fashion Island, Newport Beach

Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

Citadel Outlets, Commerce

Beverly Center, Los Angeles

The Block at Orange, Orange

Ontario Mills, Ontario

From LA, it's about a 4 hour trip to Vegas. Take highway 10, 60, or 210 east to I-15 north. From there, you can go directly back to Orlando, or go back to LA.

Expect to pay at least $100 per night for a decent hotel room, more in LA and SF. Meals can be anywhere from $5 to $50 per person, depending on taste and type of food. When on vacation, we usually budget $50 per person per day, on average. We may eat out one nice place, but mostly eat less expensive fast food. (Since we now have an RV, we spend a lot less on food because we cook our own).

Going to Palm Springs next week. What the heck am I going to do?

Going to Palm Springs next week. What the heck am I going to do?

Cool stuff? Not necessarily. Have you looked at the "demo" of PS? 50% of the population is 50 and over, which is VERY high. And that doesn't count the seasonal residents, or "snowbirds". So if you're looking for things that cater to folks your age. Nothing is really cheap out there, since everything caters to seniors. So you're not going to find some cheap place where they serve some authentic ethnic cuisine, since old people can't take it.

For the most part, if you want to swim or golf, it's all good. Otherwise...

Top 10 Things To Do in Palm Springs

1. Take the Tram. A "must see" while visiting Palm Springs, you'll be taken on a Swiss tram car to the top of Mount San Jacinto – 8,516 feet above the valley. There you are transported to the threshold of the 13,000 acre Mt. San Jacinto Wilderness State Park, with 54 miles of biking trails, cross country skiing, and magnificent views of Coachella Valley below. Also at the top is an alpine restaurant, cocktail lounge, and a 22 minute film documenting the history of the tramway. Take Palm Canyon Drive north to Tramway Road near I-10(760-325-1391).

2. Visit Villagefest. Every Thursday evening from 6-10 PM, downtown Palm Springs is transformed into an vibrant old fashioned street fair, complete with musicians, local arts and crafts, food, and a farmer's market. Villagefest is located between Baristo and Amado Roads on Palm Canyon Drive (Highway 111).

3. See The City. Learn of the history of the area, view the city's distinctive architecture and see how the rich and famous live, including 30-40 homes of famous Hollywood stars. Both Celebrity Tours(760-770-2700) and Grayline Tours (760-329-9609) provide tours of the city and the valley. For the more adventurous there is also horseback riding (760-327-1372), and ballooning, a spectacular way to see the valley (Desert Balloon 760-346-8575 , Sunrise Balloons 760-346-7591).

4. View the natural splendor. Joshua Tree National Park offers 870 square miles of hiking, rock climbing, picnicking and more (760-367-7511). The Indian Canyons are 3 magnificent canyons 5 miles south of the town center on South Palm Canyon Road, with amazing plant life and lush vegetation among rock formations and waterfalls. The Living Desert is a1,200 acre reserve combining a zoo, botanical garden, and scenic wilderness in one facility (760-346-5694).

5. The Arts. Palm Springs has always been associated with the Creative Arts. The world famous Palm Springs Desert Museum offers an excellent permanent collection of Western and Native American art, as well as fine traveling collections (760-325-7186). The McCallum Theater features top rated entertainment (760-346-6505). The Palm Springs Follies -- A long running smash hit featuring music from the 30's, 40's, and 50's.

6. World Class Golf And Tennis. Whether you golf for fun or serious sport, Palm Springs has a course for you. The area boasts over 90 different golf courses, many designed by international legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

7. Enjoy the Water. Palm Springs has 354 days of sunshine every year. Bring along plenty of sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and enjoy the breathtaking scenery from your nearest pool or jacuzzi. During the warm summer months one of the most popular attractions is the Oasis Water Park, featuring 13 water slides, a huge wave pool, and the Whitewater River Ride (Open March to October).

8. Shop. From the exclusive specialty stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue at The Desert Fashion Mall on Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs to El Paseo in Palm Desert, often referred to as "The Rodeo Drive of the Desert". For bargain hunters there is the Desert Hills Factory Stores, featuring over 100 outlet stores (Take I-10 west, Exit Apache Trails). One of the best is The Estate Sale, 4148 E. Palm Canyon Drive, open Thursday thru Sunday).

9. Casino And Gaming. Because half of Palm Springs is still owned by Indian tribes, gambling is legal in the area. Most of these casinos offer slots, cards, and high stakes bingo. Even is you are not a big gambler, their frequent dinner specials and big name entertainment can be a real value. Fantasy Springs Casino, Spa Hotel and Casino, and Spotlight 29 Casino (775-5566) are among the most popular.

10. Day Trips. Pioneertown, an old west town built in the 40's by Roy Rogers and Gene Autry to film their movies (I-10 to Highway 62, about 40 minutes). Idyllwild, a mountain community nestled in a pine forest with unique shops, galleries, and hiking (I-10 to Banning, then south on Highway 243 - about 90 minutes).

Not much in the way of clubs, but here are two:

Ozz Resort, 67580 Jones Rd., Cathedral City 760-324-3000

Zelda's Beach Club, 169 N Indian Canyon Rd, Palm Springs, 760-325-3275

Holidays also on this date Thursday, August 1, 2024...